Looking at college rankings is a great way to determine which school you should attend. Until recently, however, it was hard for non-traditional online degree students to figure out which programs were best. Online Education Database (OEDb) was the first to create a ranking system specifically for online programs, and if you’re interested in distance learning, this is one of the best ways to research the programs available in your field.

Who is OEDb?

OEDb is a website that reviews college programs found online. They officially opened their doors in 2006 and currently list over 1000 programs offered by 88 different online schools. Users can browse by college, degree, or program, and only accredited online colleges are included in their database to prevent students from research schools that may have below-average standards for students. They also publish a number of articles about online learning every year.

Why should you Trust OEDb?

The first OEDb rankings list was released in 2008, and it was the first of its kind available to online students. They only include accredited online colleges on their list, and have a number of other criteria that a school must meet before it can be ranked on their list, included being listed by College Navigator, a publication by the United States Department of Education.

What is their Methodology?

OEDb uses a number of characteristics to rank each college. Their metrics include the following:

• Acceptance Rate
• Percentage of Students Receiving Financial Aid
• Graduation Rate (with six years for four-year programs and within three years for two-year progras)
• Linking to the Website by Other Online Colleges
• Retention Rate
• Scholarly Citations of Students and Faculty Members
• Student-to-Faculty Ratio
• Number of Years Accredited

These eight characteristics are weighted equally, as OEDb believes that they are all of equal importance when ranking a program.

For colleges that offer campus classes as well as online classes, at least 50% of the students receiving their degrees must get them online in order for the school to be considered for this list. The objective here is to provide you with a look at online programs, without watering down the list with school that offer limited programs online or only offer part of their program’s classes as distance learning opportunities.

Remember, if you’re considering attending school online, you should consider not only this rankings list, but also a number of other factors, such as your comfort level with the school, the student resources offered, and more. This college list by OEDb is only the start for the research you need to do to find the best school for you. Read reviews, talk to students attending their programs, meet via phone or chat room with school administration, and learn all you can about a program before you apply to ensure that you’re making the right educational decision.

With the current situation of our job market, employers' demands for individuals with college degrees is higher than ever. Earning a degree from an online college offers the affordability and flexibility that most brick-and-mortar campus-based colleges cannot offer. Below, we present the top onine colleges for 2010.

Top 10 Online Universities

	University of Phoenix — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Founded in 1976 as a upstart college, today the University of Phoenix is the largest private university in North America with students at over 200 campus locations and online learners studying dozens of programs all over the world.
	Ashford University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. The mission of Asford University is to foster a sense of accessible, flexible, and innovative learning in its student body. Ashford offers accelerated external degree program for adult learners in numerous subjects, including social sciences, criminal justice, technology, business, healthcare, and more.
	Boston University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Founded in 1839, Boston University is one of the oldest universities in the nation to offer online degree programs. With two main campuses in the city of Boston, dozens of study abroad programs around the world, and an online program available globally, Boston University's presence is second to none.
	Liberty University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Founded in 1971 by Rev. Jerry Falwell, Liberty University is the largest evangelical Christian university in the nation with an enrollment of over 20,000 undergraduate and post-graduate students.
	Walden University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Walden University has designed all of its online coursework for busy adult professionals who demand affordability and flexibility from their schooling. With degrees offered in several subjects, including healthcare, criminal justice, and business, Walden is sure to be a good fit for most students.
	DeVry University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. With approximately 100 campus locations across North America, DeVry University is one of the more well-known names in the online education industry. Originally founded in 1931, today DeVry offers most of its degree programs online. Subjects of study include business, science, IT, liberal arts, and more.
	Capella University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. "Knowledge means solving problems no one else can" is the official motto of Capella University. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Capella offers over 1,000 online courses in subject such as legal studies, criminal justice, business, IT, healthcare, education, and more.
	Kaplan University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. The online degree programs offered at Kaplan University are tailored to each student, customized for flexibilty so that students are able to study on their schedule. Kaplan offers more than 100 degrees in subjects ranging from business to criminal justice to nursing and more.
	Strayer University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Founded in 1892 as Strayer's Business College, today Strayer University boast an enrollment of over 50,000 students across the United States. Degrees are offered in business, computer technology, education, health administration, criminal justice, and more.
	Grand Canyon University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's and Master's. Frequently cited as one of the top online colleges in the United States, Grand Canyon University was originally founded as Grand Canyon College in 1949. Today, GCU offers dozens of degrees online in subjects such as nursing, healthcare, business, and more.
	Argosy University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and PhDs. Headquartered in Chicago, IL and with over a dozen campus locations nationwide, Argosy University provides accredited online degree programs for busy professionals in subjects including psychology, healthcare, business, and more.
	Westwood College — Degree Levels: Associate's and Bachelor's. Originally established in 1953, Westwood College is composed of 17 campus locations in six states and an online program offered through their Denver North campus. Programs of study offered online include business, criminal justice, fashion merchandising, healthcare, and more.
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